Many of us can think of the exact moment we became lifetime fans of motorsport. Sometimes, you just had to be there. Still, some are immortalized in video and those videos can make racing converts of anyone. So let’s conspire to make some new converts today by sharing some of our favorite videos from racing history.
Before I’d ever gone to a race, I was entranced by videos of Group B rally. The videos of drivers staying flat as the crowd parted before them were unthinkable to me when I wasn’t familiar with racing (and it’s now even more so now that I am). I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, but I can always use an excuse to watch these videos again.
Videos like this sent me down a rabbit hole leading to Pikes Peak highlights, and eventually to attending my first race at that mountain. Since then I’ve been to everything from short-track and drag races to Formula 1, and even done some myself. Now that my racing horizons are broader, I can think of more moments that might kindle others’ interest—though it’s impossible to pick a favorite.
There’s this fan video of the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix’s start, which gives you some idea of how loud F1’s naturally aspirated engines were. Then there’s that race at Bathurst with the spunky little Honda Civic, and the famous “Lap of the Gods.” I also still can’t get over F1 races like the 2011 Canadian GP, or 2020 Sakhir, but maybe it’s best to slow-roll people on those. Like all sports, racing is all about knowing the backstory behind what’s happening on the track, and almost nobody tells racing stories like YouTube’s S1apSh0es. Whether you’re already a NASCAR fan or not, you’ll thank me later.
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